The Fork Dropped

Ethan sat at table with Mom and Sister Isabelle for lunch. He  is about 18 month old. Ethan picked up a chunk of carrot with a fork and put it into his mouth. He patted the table with the fork while chewing the carrot. “Dah-dah-dah…”

“Pah!” The fork dropped to the floor.

Ethan pointedhis little finger to the floor and called: “drop!” Mom went to pick up the fork, rinsed it under water and returned it back to Ethan. Having the fork back in his hand, Ethan dangled his legs excitedly and said to Mom gleefully: “Thanks!”

“You’re welcome!” Mom responded with a smile. Ethan played the fork as before.

“Pah!” The fork dropped to the floor again. Ethan called out again: “Drop! drop!”

Mom picked up the fork again and returned it to Ethan. Ethan thanked her again.

The fork dropped to the floor the third time. Isabelle watched at Ethan and giggled. Mom warned: “Don’t throw it again! Otherwise, I won’t let you eat with it. ” The fork went back to Ethan’s hand again.

“Pah! Pah!” This time the little guy threw both the spoon and the fork to the floor. He pointed at them and called out with a blank face: “Drop! Drop!”

Mom looked at Ethan sullenly and didn’t move.

Isabelle stormed from her seat, picked up both the fork and the spoon, rinsed them under faucet, and returned both of them back to Ethan’s placemat.

Isabelle went back to her seat. The sister and brother looked at each other with smile on both faces. Ethan said with satisfaction: “Thanks!”

Isabelle responded with satisfaction: “You’re welcome!”

Mom said: “Both of you focus on eating. No throwing of utensils again! If Ethan throws them again, Isabelle is not allowed to pick them...”

When Mom has hardly finished her sentence, Ethan has already thrown his spoon to the floor. He watched at Isabelle: “Drop! Drop!”

Mom turned her head to discover that Isabelle has already disappeared under table.

Isabelle put thefork back into Ethan’s hand under table. She then put the spoon back on hisplacemat from under furtively.

Isabelle went back to her seat. Ethan was so happy. He said earnestly to Isabelle: “Thanks~~”

Mom looked at Ethan seriously: “Ethan, if you have twice more of throwing, I won’t let you sit here and eat. You will have a time-out at your sister’s room.” Mom pointed in the direction of Isabelle’s room.

But again, as if he didn’t understand Mom’s words, Ethan threw the spoon to the floor and called out to Isabelle: “Drop! Drop!”

Isabelle dived under the table at once.

Mom watched them play the drop-and-pick game twice more silently. Then she stood up, lifted Ethan from the seat and took him to Isabelle’s room. “Then you are not allowed to eat now.” She said as she put down Ethan. Before Ethan figured it out, Mom has already closed the door in front of him.

Ethan cried out aloud instantly. He is not high enough to grab and turn the door knob. He touched the knob and move it a bit, but couldn’t open it. He cried aloud constantly.

At dining table, Isabelle smacked  the table with her palm and said angrily at Mom: “He is only a baby! If you don’t release him right away, I won’t listen to you anymore today.” Mom pretended not hearing Isabelle’s words and ate quietly. But she pricked her ears to listen to Ethan’s cry. Ethan’s cry is rhythmic and full of strength. There should be no worry for loss of breath.

Mom is curious in her mind:In ordinary days this little guy likes digging in Sister’s room the best. He can find things to play with in every corner. Now being locked inside, why does he cry so earnestly? It’s not even a dark room…He should have understood it’s a punishment.

The little guy cried in the room for two minutes. There is no sign that he is going to stop or moderate it. Mom started to worry.

Isabelle was already outraged: “Release him, right now! At once! If you don’t release him now, I will go and release him myself! ” Mom took a glance at her and stood up to open the door for the poor little guy.

Once the door is open, Ethan stopped his cry instantly. He rushed into Mom’s arms, held Mom’s neck tight with both arms, stuck his face to Mom’s face and called “Mama” for several times.

Mom said: “if you throw fork and spoon to the floor again, Mom will lock you in your sister’s room like this again. No throwing to the floor again from now on, okay?” Ethan said: “Okay.”

Mom put him back into his seat. Ethan sat and ate quietly. After eating with good behavior for a long while, the sister and brother meet each other’s eyes, both of them gave out big grins. The little guy was itching to play the game again. He threw the spoon over on the table, looked at Isabelle and said: “Uh-oh——”

Isabelle smiled, sat up to pick the spoon from the table and put it back on his placemat. Ethan said happily: “Thanks!”

Mom pretended not seeing what had happened:These two little guys are a good couple.Just don’t throw it to the floor.

叉子掉了

一岁半的小小米、小米和妈妈坐在餐桌边吃午饭。小小米叉了一块胡萝卜放进嘴里。一边吃着，一边拿着叉子敲桌子：“哒哒哒！”

“啪！”叉子掉到了地板上。

小手往地上一指，小小米叫：“掉～”妈妈起身把勺子捡起，去水下冲了冲，还给了他。小小米拿回叉子，晃着两腿，欢快地说：“谢谢！”

妈妈微笑：“不用谢。”小小米又拿着叉子玩。

“啪！”叉子又掉地板上，小小米又喊：“掉～掉～”

妈妈又捡来叉子还给小小米，他又说谢谢。

叉子第三次掉到地上。姐姐看着弟弟咯咯笑。

妈妈警告说：“不许再扔了！ 再扔不让你用它吃饭了。”叉子重又回到小家伙手上。

“啪！啪！”小家伙这次拿起了勺子和叉子一齐扔在了地上，一脸无知：“掉～”

妈妈生气地看着他不说话。

姐姐小米飞快地从桌子对面站起来，跑到他身边帮他捡起叉子和勺子，拿到水下冲了冲,把它们放回到小小米的餐垫上。

姐姐坐回自己的位子。姐弟互相对着眯眯笑，小小米一脸满足：“谢谢！”

姐姐也一脸满足：“不用谢！”

妈妈说：“两人都好好吃饭。不许再扔餐具了!弟弟再扔，姐姐也不许捡…”

妈妈的话音未落，小家伙已经把勺子又扔到了地板上去了，并看着姐姐：“掉～掉～”

妈妈一回头，小米已经消失到桌子底下。

小米把叉子从桌子下塞到弟弟的手里。又伸手把勺子从底下偷偷放回到他的餐垫上。

小米坐回自己的座位。小小米高兴极了，对着姐姐认认真真地说：“谢～谢～”

妈妈严肃地看着小小米说：“小小米！如果你再扔两次的话，我就不让你坐在这里吃饭了。你就到姐姐房间一个人去呆着。”妈妈指了指卧室的方向。

但是小小米好像没听见似的，把勺子又一次扔到了地板上，对着姐姐说：“掉～掉～.”

小米马上又潜到了桌子底下。

妈妈一声不吭地看他们接着玩了两轮扔与捡的游戏。然后，她站起身，把小小米从座位里拎了出来，抱到姐姐房间里去。“现在你不能吃饭了。”她说着就把小小米放下了。小小米还没回过神来，妈妈已经把门在他面前关上离开了。

小小米哇得哭了出来。小家伙的身高还不够转动门把手。门把手动了动，终究没有被打开。他在屋内大哭。

餐桌上，小米手拍桌子，对着妈妈喊：“He’s only a baby!如果你不马上把他放出来，我今天就不听你的话了！”

妈妈不理小米，顾自吃饭。但是，她还是竖起耳朵聆听哭声。小小米的哭声有韵律，中气十足，不用担心岔气。

妈妈心里好奇：平时小家伙最喜欢钻到姐姐房间里去，每个角落都能发现好玩的。现在一个人在里面，又不是小黑屋，怎么哭得这么认真?看来他明白这是惩罚。

小家伙在屋里哭了两分钟，并没有停止哭泣或者缓解的意思。妈妈开始有点担心。

小米已经出离愤怒了：“快把他放出来，现在！马上！如果你现在不把他放出来，我就不叫你妈妈了！我就去把他放出来!”妈妈看了她一眼，起身去给小家伙开门。

一打开门，小小米就停止了哭泣。他扑到妈妈的怀里来，紧紧抱着妈妈的脖子，小脸贴着妈妈的脸，叫了好几声妈妈。

妈妈说：“小小米，如果你再把叉子、勺子扔到地板上，妈妈还是会这样把你关进姐姐的房间里的。以后不要再扔地上了，好不好？”

小小米说：“好。”

妈妈把他抱回餐桌，他坐下来安安静静吃饭。吃了好一会儿后，姐弟俩目光相遇，两人都咧嘴笑了。小家伙忍不住手又痒了，一把抓起勺子往餐桌上扔，看着姐姐说：“啊哦——”

小米嘻嘻笑，撑起身来帮他把勺子从餐桌上捡起来，放回到他的餐垫上。小小米马上高兴地说：“谢谢！”

妈妈装作没看见：两只小屁孩还挺和谐，只要别给我扔到地板上。